Transition
by crow3man
Summary: Seven years have passed since the fall of Hades, and the peace with Viridi. Pit is reading, and more confident and combat able than ever. In the shadows, Akuma fights for his survival. The human boy with an infernal past and future will soon find his fate twisted with Pit's as the Underworld rises once more. Stretching beyond Time and Space, the war will shake the dimensions.
1. Chapter 1: Fire in the Sky

Chapter 1: Fire in the Sky

**Bold text is as translated from the Elder Tongue**

* * *

Dark clouds rolled over a peaceful meadow, ignored by the wildlife. Rain began to fall, which would be normal were the droplets not aflame. Plants withered and animals fled in terror as the sky opened a cauldron of burning oil upon them. In the midst of the hellish chaos stood a monolith, circled by five men wearing white hooded robes, a green eye on the front of the hood. They too succumbed to the falling flames, burning away to dust and bone without so much as a whimper. The great stone pillar remained untouched, ash sliding off the smooth surface.

Walking without a care for the pouring blaze was a human boy, lean body tanned by years away from civilization. Lavender eyes gazed out from in between shocks of ebony hair. Twin vicious daggers lay sheathed, attached to tattered black pants. Sturdy grey sandals crunched over charred grass and piles of ash. A tattoo sprawled across his bare back, depicting a feral demon.

The boy, Akuma, stalked up to the monolith, kicking a blackened skull and shattering it against a tree. Drawing a dagger, he carved ancient runes into the stone. The flames ceased to fall, the forest rapidly burning to the ground.

**"The Elders return,"** he scribed. The symbols were precise, if rough.

A twig snapped. Akuma's head whipped around, tracing the noise to it's source. An angel bearing a tauren cesta stepped into the clearing, staring at the destruction in bewilderment. His eyes found the trail of footprints left behind by the violet eyed boy, and followed the path to the creator, only to see nothing as the ebony haired teen disappeared. The Angel stepped up to the monolith, studying the Scripture.

"Lady Palutena? Viridi? It's… all gone. Everything. The entire forest burned to ash. There's a rock with something scratched in, but I can't read it."

Akuma watched the angel as one might a newfound creature. He listened attentively, noting everything about the newcomer in a predatory fashion. His combat-weathered stance, his familiarity with the bull-shaped cesta he wielded, even the way his wings twitched. Akuma's hands drifted towards his daggers, Sodom and Gomorrah, but he checked them halfway. The angel seemed confused, more than anything.

Light enveloped the winged teen, pulling him up and out of the smoldering ashes. Akuma watched as his newest near-encounter floated up before vanishing. Just before he blinked out of sight, the angel glimpsed Akuma and shouted. Whatever words erupted from his mouth were lost on the howling winds.

* * *

Pit rose with the sun. He stretched, reaching high above his head. Stepping out of bed with a spring in his step, the young angel burst from his room in full gear.

He immediately left for the practice range. Along the way, he stopped by the Arms Altar. He began to browse through the numerous divine weapons, eventually settling on the Taurus Arm. He spent an hour destroying targets before heading for breakfast.

The meal consisted of grapes, orange and apple slices, and a stack of pancakes drowning in syrup. All alongside a tall glass of milk. Pit was part way through demolishing a pancake when he was contacted by Viridi.

**_"Hey, Pit!"_**

Pit nearly spewed his half chewed pancake. "Oh, hey Virihi," he greeted with muffled words before swallowing his slice of pancake.

**_"Couldn't you have just waited until you swallowed? That's gross," _**Viridi scolded.

"No, because then you would have yelled at me for taking too long to respond!"

**_"No I- oh whatever. Look, there's something weird going on and all my commanders are who knows where doing other things. I want you to go check it out for me."_**

"Sure thing, lemme finish my breakfast," Pit declared. He wolfed down the rest of his breakfast, nearly choking on the last pancake. Not five minutes later, he had the Taurus Arm re-equipped and stood at the gate. "Alright, I'm ready to go Viridi."

As he was about to leap out the door, a familiar voice broke through Pit's thoughts. **_"Good morning Pit. And to you too Miss Cactus. Where were you headed?"_**

Pit, too off balance to stop, floundered as Viridi activated the Power of Flight. "Lady Palutena! I was just about to check something for Viridi!"

**_"Weren't you supposed to be training the centurions today? And Viridi, why not have one of your commanders look at this... whatever it is?"_**

"Well, yeah, but can't training the centurions wait until later? Besides, Viridi said her commanders are busy doing other things."

**_"Things more important than serving their goddess, huh?"_**

**_"Yes Palutena, things more important than serving me," _**Viridi cut in. **_"If you're quite done with your little interrogation, I need to borrow Pit."_**

**_"Oh, I see how it is. Sure, you can borrow him." _**One could practically hear Palutena's smile.

**_"Hey! Don't get any ideas," _**Viridi snarled, slightly flustered.

Palutena queried, **_"So what are your commanders off doing?"_**

**"**_**Arlon is still working on the replacement for the Lunar Sanctum, and Phosphora is taking the Lightning Chariot out on a different mission. And Cragalanche is, well, Craganlanche. He wouldn't be much help with this,"** _Viridi explained. **_"Happy?"_**

**"**_**Yes, very,"** _Palutena grinned.

Pit noticed he hadn't moved at all. "Uh, Viridi? Can we get a move on," he asked. "The power of Flight only lasts five minutes, remember?"

He suddenly found himself soaring at incredible speeds, so fast his cheeks rippled rhythmically.

"Vir-rid-di! Sl-lo-ow do-ow-wn!"

**_"Shut up," _**the childish goddess snapped. **_"We've wasted too much time already!"_**

**_"What's the big deal? You haven't been this upset since the war over the Wish Seed," _**Palutena demanded.

**_"You know how storms are part of nature?"_**

**_"Yeah?"_**

**_"That means I cause storms."_**

**_"Is this going anywhere?"_**

**_"There's a storm I didn't cause, happening right now!"_**

**_"Couldn't it just be the work of some other god?"_**

**_"What god turns rain into fire?"_**

**_"I think I see your point."_**

"Um, hey Viridi? Where am I going?" Pit watched the land fall behind him in a blur.

**_"You'll be landing soon. See those clouds below you? Your destination is below those," _**Viridi clarified.

Pit felt himself angling towards the clouds moments before plunging into them. The first thing he noticed was how bright it was despite the ashen grey exterior. The second thing was the overwhelming heat. Pit took note that the rain cloud was actually made up of ash and embers, creating the dark shell. When the flightless angel broke through the bottom, no fire fell and no forest remained. Nothing but ashes and dust.

Viridi directed Pit towards a clearing devoid of life, cooler than the surrounding desolate powder. He wandered through the charred stumps in a daze. _Crunch! _A twig snapped underfoot, unnoticed by Pit in his stupor. His gaze swept across the scorched landscape, halting on a standing stone, seemingly untouched by the blaze that destroyed the forest. He meandered up to the stone, staring at the runes carved in.

"Lady Palutena? Viridi? It's... all gone," Pit whispered. "Everything. The entire forest burned to ash. There's a rock with something scratched in, but I can't read it."

**_"Oh, the great master of literature can't read something," _**Viridi taunted.

_**"Now, now. Viridi, you know fully how hard Pit is working on learning to read,"** _Palutena scolded. **_"These symbols don't appear to be Greek."_**

**_"Well then miss know-it-all," _**Challenged Viridi,**_ "why don't you read it?"_**

**_"I can't."_**

**_"Come again?"_**

**_"I can't read it. The language, if it even is one, is foreign to me."_**

**_"You're telling me that you, Palutena, the goddess that knows everything under the sun, don't know how to read something scribbled into a rock?"_**

**_"That is what I'm telling you. Pit, I'm pulling you out, there's nothing here."_**

Pit felt the familiar tug of a teleport pulling him up. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed someone watching him. Turning mid-teleport, the angel saw a human boy with black hair and violet eyes staring at him.

"Lady Palutena! Viridi! There's a survivor," Pit cried out too late.

The light enveloped Pit, carrying him back to Skyworld. He found himself standing in front of an absolutely perplexed Palutena.

"What do you mean," She queried, "That there was a survivor?"

**_"Yeah Pit," _**Viridi chipped in, **_"Who could have survived that?"_**

"Well, it was a human boy," Pit explained. "He had black hair, purple eyes, and shredded black pants. He was armed with twin daggers, though they were sheathed. He had a weathered look to him, as if he's seen things no mortal should see and survived."

"If he's human, I should have been able to see him," Palutena noted. "I didn't see anyone aside from you."

_**"Pit was probably just seeing things,"** _Viridi fired. **_"There's no way some lowly human survived that," _**she added with an audible sneer.

"Will you give up on that already? There are humans that worship you and live in nature and stuff," Pit exclaimed. "They're called 'druids' by the rest."

**"**_**There are, are there? Well Pit, this is not a case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch,"** _Viridi retorted. **_"This is a case of one good apple out of the whole orchard!"_**

"I hate to agree with her on the frailty of man, but Viridi's right," Palutena cursed. "There's just no way a human, no matter how well adapted, could survive that."

Pit shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "He was real! Don't tricks of the mind only last a couple seconds? He was there, staring clear at me, for at least a minute!"

"Pit, just drop it for now," Palutena ordered. "The stone, what can you tell us about that?"

"It was tall, three sides slowly curving to a point. It had some weird symbols scratched into it, like letters. Whatever it was, I couldn't read it."

**"_Are you sure those 'symbols' weren't just messy writing?"_**

"Hey! I can read messy writing!"

**"_You can barely read in the first place."_**

"And who's teaching him," Palutena interjected.

**"_I- um- I am…" _**Viridi stammered.

Pit tried to save the nature goddess from further embarrassment. "Thanks for that by the way!" He only succeeded in turning her face redder.

Viridi silently thanked telepathy for ensuring that she didn't have to be talking face to face with them. _**"Anyways, what state was the stone in?"**_

Pit sat silent for a moment. "It was pristine. Nothing on it, save the scratches I mentioned," he described. "It was like nothing had ever come within a continent of it."

"That's strange," Palutena commented.

**"_All hail the goddess of obvious," _**Viridi jabbed, reusing her old insult.

Pit cut short the impending argument. "Is it safe to say we don't know anything?"

"Yes Pit, it is," Palutena confirmed, smiling at the young angel.

"**_As much as I hate to admit it, chicken wings is right," _**Viridi begrudgingly agreed. **_"Is it safe to say I can call on Pit if this happens again? Even if only a little, he's now the most experienced with this."_**

"I think it is," Palutena smiled with a small chuckle. "I think it is."

* * *

Akuma crouched on the crest of a hill, left hand on the ground and right on the handle of Sodom. Just over the hill, in a small grassy depression, a cluster of Underworld minions swarmed around a stone. Three Ornes stood guard, watching for intruders with unwavering, malicious stares. A bound Clubberskull lay in waiting. Most worrying to the violet eyed boy though, was the Great Reaper overseeing the whole operation.

Akuma tapped into his power, drawing upon himself a cloak of shadow to sneak unnoticed. As the magic darkness settled into place, the gaze of the Great Reaper washed over Akuma. It hovered there for a fraction of a second. Akuma silently thanked his arcane ability, and the entity granting it.

"What do you think," he whispered.

A hollow, echoing voice, as if three people spoke at once, replied within his head. _**"New leader. This is far too organized for that gargantuan idiot to have set up,"** _the voice commented, referring to the Great Reaper.

"Good point. Kill them all, or all but the Great Reaper and interrogate him?"

**"_Let's slaughter them!"_**

"I figured you'd say that."

* * *

**Hey guys! I have a few things to say here.**

**First off, my sincerest apologies to the readers, followers, and favoriters of Rise of the Old Ones. This is the reboot. I did not like how that story was turning out at all, and couldn't stand leaving it up. It was just too terrible. So yes, this is Rise of the Old Ones, but renamed and redone.**

**Second, my apologies for taking so long. Reason: Terraria. DAMN that game is fun. So yeah, I will be more writing oriented in the future, I just was on a huge Terraria kick for a while.**

**Third, I got a copy of Uprising a few days ago, have beaten the campaign, and still enjoy the game immensely. I play the multiplayer from time to time, tag Crow3man (Big surprise), so yeah. Might see you online, might not.**

**And fourth, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a review, and tell me what I can improve. PLEASE! All begging for reviews aside, enjoy the story and check out my RWBY story, Twenty-Four Hours.**

**Anyways, thanks all and enjoy! Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2: Nightfall

Chapter 2: Nightfall

**Bold text is as translated from the Elder Tongue**

* * *

Akuma yanked Sodom and Gomorrah out of the Great Reaper's head, cracking the ancient bones. He dried the bloodstained blades on the colossal skeleton's robe, then turned to survey the carnage.

The Clubbeskull lay in innumerable bloody pieces on the ground, the halves of the skull cleaned out. Chunks of Monoeyes, Miks, and Fire Wyrms lay scattered about. The Ornes were the trickiest of the bunch. Despite the challenge of killing them without getting so much as touched by one, all three faded away.

One surviving Monoeye rose from the pile of decaying parts to fire at Akuma. He slid under the shot, then slashed upwards with both daggers to trisect the offending monster. The Monoeye ruptured violently, dissipating into the twisting nether of the Underworld.

"Damn it, I literally just cleaned these," Akuma cursed.

**_"Dry blades are for the weak and fearful,"_** countered the echoing voice.

Akuma wandered towards the Great Reaper, intent on discovering that which the Underworld would send such a powerful warrior for. At the gargantuan skeleton's feet was an altar. On the altar lay a scroll, bound with red ribbon, topped with a simple bow knot.

He snatched up the bound parchment without a moments hesitation. Lightly drawing on the end of the ribbon caused the simple binding to fall away, allowing the scroll to open in the violet eyed teen's hands. Unrolling the aged paper revealed ancient script, the like that has not been used since the birth of the world. Elder Runes sprawled across the paper.

**"Seven years of peace shall be shattered by the rise of the vengeful spirit. Blood personified shall strike at the heavens and the earth, bound by hatred and malice."**

"What would the Underworld want with a Creator Prophecy," Akuma muttered as he scanned the parchment.

**"The Last Nil and the Last Angel shall descend upon the Underworld, wreathed in fire and light. In the wake of destruction, the Faithful rise from nothing to end the false pantheon."**

**"_Well that's cryptic," _**Commented the voice.

"No kidding," Akuma retorted as he rolled up the scroll and tucked it in his one pocket, a pouch on the side of his thigh, just above the knee.

A sixth sense, instincts honed by survival of the fittest, alerted Akuma to a nearby presence. He dashed out of the open, cloaking himself in darkness once more.

A human girl, roughly sixteen, glided into the clearing. She had pale white skin, contrasted by tarnished gold hair flowing to the small of her back. Piercing yet gentle cyan eyes darted around. A light grey short sleeve shirt hugged her body closely, conforming to her torso and small breasts. Indigo shorts reaching her knees met knee length open sandals. A medallion with a split image, half sun, half moon, hung from her neck. She rode a streamline yet jagged floating black board with gold markings, carrying a similarly designed staff.

Akuma watched the newcomer as she scanned the clearing, eventually drifting over to the altar.

"Okay, they said a scroll would be here," she muttered, her voice smooth and melodious. "Did they lie to me?"

Feeling the scroll in his pocket, the violet eyed warrior consulted his mental companion. "Without saying we should maul, torture, or do… other things to her, what do you think," he whispered.

_**"You always rule out the fun ones,"**_ complained the hollow voice. **_"Fine! I say figure out why she wants the scroll."_**

The girl whipped around, her staff aimed right at Akuma. A powerful bolt akin to a beam of moonlight erupted from the weapon. Akuma rolled to the side, dispelling the shadow and drawing Sodom and Gomorrah as he did. He held the sister daggers in a reverse grip.

"How the hell?"

The girl frowned. "Your body appears human," she noted. She closed her eyes, milky white when they reopened. "But your soul does not," she concluded.

"So you can see souls," Akuma confirmed. His grip on Sodom and Gomorrah tightened. "Just what I needed."

The blonde girl grinned confidently. "Pretty smart for a disguised Underworld monster. You a commander?"

"I have nothing to do with those idiots," Akuma growled.

"Hey, what's in your pocket," she demanded, gesturing with her staff.

Akuma's violet orbs remained fixated on his aggressor. "You don't honestly think I'd fall for that, do you?"

Before the teal eyed girl could reply, Akuma sprang away, sheathing Sodom and Gomorrah. Upon landing he began to sprint, a dust cloud kicking up behind him.

The girl on the hoverboard stared in shock as the dagger wielder ran faster than any human she had seen. As soon as the surprise wore off, she leaned forward on her black gold board. The machine carried her forward. She quickly caught up with Akuma, her staff balanced in one hand.

Glancing over his shoulder without breaking stride, the midnight haired boy saw his attacker breaking even with him. He faced forward once more, hunching to reduce wind resistance. None the less, the girl on the board kept up with ease.

"Not good," he hissed.

**"_Well, look at what being soft got you," _**the hollow voice gloated. **_"You could have killed her and been done with it."_**

"Akuryo, I do not need to hear your lecturing right now!"

"**_You really need to learn to kill first and ask questions later!"_**

Akuma would have bit back at the voice in his head, were it not for the fact that his feet were no longer beneath him. Looking up, he saw the girl ahead of him, her staff held low to the ground. The girl glided to a stop in front of the downed boy. She pointed her wickedly tipped staff at his chest.

"I ask what's in your pocket and you run off? Makes me suspicious," she teased. "Maybe I'll just have to take a look…"

The staff drifted towards Akuma's pocket. As it was about to knock the scroll out, the violet eyed wild boy slapped the staff away, rolling to his feet immediately after. Drawing Sodom and Gomorrah, he stood with the blades in a backwards grip, edges crossed. The two eyed each other warily.

"I would advise against going through a stranger's pockets, whoever you are," Akuma warned. "Especially when you know that their soul is inhuman."

"Just what are you, anyways?"

"Clearly not entirely human."

The girl drifted closer, shifting into a balanced stance. Akuma bent his knees. Both combatants edged forward, neither willing to make the first move.

The ebon haired boy feinted, lunging left then slashing right. The blonde dodged right, straight into the attack. She brought her staff up, blocking Sodom and Gomorrah. The sister daggers sparked off of the black gold staff.

The girl brought her hoverboard around, bashing Akuma in the back with the point. He staggered forward, dropping to his hands and knees. As the girl reoriented herself, the boy rolled forward to his feet. He spun to face the girl.

"You aren't worth my time," Akuma deadpanned.

The violet eyed teen raced forward, kicking the hoverboard and sending the blonde girl careening back towards the altar. The black gold machine crashed into the ground, burying the tip and wedging itself in place. The girl flew from the machine, skidding for several meters.

Akuma ran, kicking up a dust cloud once more as the girl vainly attempted to pull her flying device out of the earth. He cloaked himself in darkness once more, vanishing into the underbrush. Moments after Akuma spirited away, the girl managed to yank her board out of the dirt. It immediately righted itself, followed by her climbing on and gliding away to find the ebon haired boy.

**"_That would have been much ea-" _**

"I get it! 'It would have been easier if I had just killed her.' I know the drill," Akuma interrupted. "Wouldn't have made sleeping at night any easier."

**"_If that's the case, why did you slaughter those Underworld monsters?"_**

"Are you really trying to start a debate on ethics right now? Because you have no ground to stand on in those waters."

**"_Valid point."_**

The black haired boy ran full tilt in a straight line, a floating island creeping over the horizon. On it was stood a grand tree, it's gorgeous canopy shifting through the myriad colours of autumn and summer leaves. The entire plant seemed to have grown into a temple. Hollows and branches, vines and bramble all made up a red-green cathedral within the tree. Headed towards this tree was a host of Underworld monsters following a great three headed serpent.

Akuma took a deep breath, focusing his innate powers. He placed his palms together, drawing them apart slowly as shadows manifested into a bar of dark metal.

**"**_**Congratulations, you managed to shape a Nil Ingot,"** _Akuryo commended, a slight hint of sarcasm dripping from each word.

Spinning the bar slowly in one hand, the violet eyed boy ignite a Nilspark, purple flame, at each end of the Nilsteel bar. Each rotation extended the flames, lengthening them, granting them a defined shape. The lavender fire hardened. Akuma gripped a bow of lavender and ebony metal, the limbs resembling lit flames.

**"_So how do you plan on getting up there?"_**

"Jumping," Akuma replied dryly.

**"_Oh this I'd love to see," _**the echoing voice commented.

"You'll be getting one better. We share a body, in case you've forgotten."

* * *

In the Nature Sanctuary, Pit curled up in a corner, clutching a small book. He scanned the pages slowly, methodically absorbing each and every letter. Across from him, Viridi sat at a woven branch table, jotting down notes on a long leaf. Arlon placed a cup of tea within arms reach of the two.

The peaceful silence didn't last.

An explosion rocked the Nature Sanctuary, throwing Pit's book out of his hands and Viridi to the floor. As the duo stood up, a naiad Pit had never seen before burst into the room.

She appeared as a human girl, roughly twelve years of age. A white form fitting v-neck knee length dress covered her tanned skin, slit up to the hip on both sides. Coal black eyes stared out from under pixie cut sea green hair. A trident lay slung across her back, a weighted net over one shoulder.

"Mistress Viridi! There's trouble outside," she frantically reported.

"I noticed, thank you Kyma," the sour nature goddess retorted. "What is going on out there?"

"Underworld troops," Kyma confirmed, "And lots of them."

"Underworld? Oh man," Pit complained. "I thought we were done with those jerks seven years ago!"

"Well, they're back now," Viridi snapped. "Looks like we'll have to fight them off. Again." She added, "Children! Destroy the intruders!"

**"_Pit? What's going on?"_**

"Lady Palutena! Underworld troops are attacking the Nature Sanctuary!"

**"_I'll grant you any powers you need, as per usual," _**Palutena grimly remarked.

"Mistress Viridi, who is this angel," Kyma queried.

"This is Pit, an ally and friend," Viridi explained.

The angel in question was already out the door, racing to the Arms Altar. He dug through the myriad divine weapons, finally pulling out a pair of Raptor Claws. Slipping the reptilian weapons onto his hands, Pit raced to the main doors, ready to rip up the Underworld Army. Bursting out the gate, he immediately felt the tug of the Power of Flight activating.

Outside was a scene straight out of the war seven years ago. Monoeyes, Miks, Speknoses, and all other manner of Underworld spawn swarmed around the Nature Sanctuary, pounding the ancient structure and keeping the Forces of Nature at bay.

Pit leaped right into the thick of the action, Raptor Claws shredding through enemy after enemy. A Fire Wyrm charged at the wild angel, only to get carved up as it careened into the sharp gauntlets. A Vakloom got in Pit's way. He force fed it bullets until the head came out to fire the laser, then decapitated it.

As Pit ran amok, rending Underworld monsters to pieces, Viridi and Kyma discussed the angel whilst watching his rampage.

"He has great prowess in combat," the naiad remarked. "Is he a new commander?"

"No," Viridi answered irritably. "He's the captain of Palutena's guard. He defeated Cragalanche, Arlon, and Phosphora all in single combat."

"You sound jealous of this Palutena."

"What!? NO!"

Any further conversation was cut off as the angel in question crashed to the ground in front of the two. He leaped to his feet without a moment's hesitation.

"Lady Palutena, can you see who's leading them," Pit queried.

**"_Yes, but you won't like it," _**the deity of light replied.

"I'm already not liking this!"

**"_Aw, did they interrupt alone time with your girlfriend?"_**

"I- uh- Viridi is not my girlfriend!"

**"_Uh-huh. Anyways, the commander is Hewdraw. Again."_**

"Again!? But this is HIS third time around now," Pit complained.

**"_There's something else here, but something is hiding it from me. Be on your guard," _**Palutena warned.

"You don't think that the Great Reaper is back too, do you?"

Pit slashed a Monoeye in half. Three Miks followed it, moments prior to the death of an angry Fire Wyrm. A Gawnamede waited at the top of a hill. The small angel made the mistake of firing at it, causing the skull-like enemy to launch one of it's infuriating spiky balls. Pit narrowly evaded the savage orb. He ran up to the Gawnamede, unleashing a flurry of vicious melee attacks, ripping the skull monster to pieces.

As Pit was about to be seen by a Reaper, a blast of purple flame engulfed the robed skeleton from behind. The angel caught a glimpse of a human with sleek ebony hair and ragged charcoal pants running rampant in the Underworld Army, a flame like bow of black and purple metal in his hands.

"What the… hey! That's the human I saw at the charred forest," Pit exclaimed.

**"_I can't see any human on the battlefield," _**Palutena wondered.

**"_And besides, no human has the ability to even see the Nature Sanctuary," _**Viridi gloated.

"Palutena, try looking for where the Underworld monsters are dying for no reason," the flightless angel suggested.

**"**_**Odd,"** _the light deity murmured, **_"They seem to just fall if they get too close to the garden."_**

**"_None of my children are stationed there," _**Viridi commented.

Pit raced over to the garden as they spoke, slashing any underworld monster that got within range to shreds.

**"**_**Careful Pit, it looks like Hewdraw has the same idea," **_Palutena warned,** _"And it looks like the three heads are bickering again. Good grief."_**

Pit crested a hill, granting him a full view of the carnage below. A swarm of underworld monsters surrounded a single human boy armed with a black and purple bow, the blades cruelly serrated and the arrows made of violet flame. The angel stared in shock as the teenage boy annihilated the monsters around him.

Hewdraw crashed into the human, sending him flying and destroying the strange bow. The ebony haired boy rolled to his feet, creating a meter-long shaft of black metal in his hands. A lavender flame sparked to life at the one end as the human gripped the other with both hands. He swung the bar above his head in wide circles, the flames extending with each rotation, a definite shape forming. The flame hardened, becoming metal. The end of a purple and black club, similar to the Capricorn Club, though with a lipless demon's visage rather than a goats, slammed into the ground behind the boy.

"That's a neat trick," the purple head congratulated.

"I wonder if it tastes good," the blue commented.

"I dare say you aren't human," the violet added.

Before the heads could continue bickering, the human burst into action. He swung the grotesque club at the blue Hewdraw head, an orb of lavender flame soaring towards the draconian maw.

"Trying to fight fire with fi-" the blue head's taunt transformed into a scream as the violet flare engulfed it, burning at the scales mercilessly.

"No, I'm fighting fire with Nilspark," the human retorted.

"Nilspark?" Pit stared at the gruesome club. "Lady Palutena, do you know what Nilspark is?"

**"_No… where did you hear this," _**Palutena replied.

"The human boy said he was 'fighting fire with Nilspark,'" the angel explained.

**"**_**I've never heard of Nilspark either,"** _Viridi added. **_"Sounds bad though."_**

**"_I suppose the only way to find out what it is is to watch the fight," _**the goddess of light commented. **_"Whatever was blocking him stopped, I can see this boy you were talking about now."_**

The trio's conversation was violently cut short as the Hewdraw lunged at the human, every mouth open wide. The black haired boy swung his club thrice in rapid succession, each hit knocking a head askew. All three heads recoiled as lavender flame erupted across their armour.

**"_Is he…" _**Palutena began.

**"_Beating Hewdraw," _**Viridi finished for her, half statement, half question.

All Pit managed to squeak out was a feeble "How?"

The blue head, both the most enraged and most damaged of the three, snarled as it spewed flame at the human boy. He merely waved his club in response, a ball of violet fire roaring towards the crimson blaze. The two collided in a burst of light. The purple flames utterly demolished the dragonfire, burning a hole through the vermillion geyser, much to the blue Hewdraw head's horror. Howling redounded as the Nilspark crashed into the blue head, not even ashes escaping the blaze.

"Did he just-" Pit stammered.

**"_He just-" _**Viridi added.

**"_Obliterated a Hewdraw head with no effort," _**Palutena confirmed.

The purple and magenta heads stared at the blackened, still smouldering stump for a half second. In that half second, the human boy lunged forward, swinging the club over his head with all his might. Which was clearly a lot, as the grim weapon crushed the magenta Hewdraw head as if it were a paper cup.

The purple head didn't even have time to stare at the remains of the leftmost head, as the savage ebony and violet club careened into it's jaw, shattering the bone and sending teeth flying, throwing the entire Hewdraw onto it's back. The human leaped into the air, an impressive feat considering the height he achieved, and swung his grotesque tool of destruction at the remaining head. The magic lightening the club released, causing the massive bludgeon to plummet, dragging the boy along with it. A crash resounded as the impromptu missile plowed through the final Hewdraw head, drawing the attention of every soldier in the Nature Sanctuary.

"Last time I meddle in a fight between gods," the boy muttered as he extracted himself from the draconian skull, the club he wielded burning away in lilac fire as Hewdraw's body vanished. "Akuryo? You might want to shield us again. We're open to clairvoyance, and I don't want to think about how much attention that fight is guaranteed to have brought."

A hollow, echoing voice resounded throughout Pit's head. **_"Too late."_**

Akuma glanced around, his gaze landing on Pit. "Damn," the violet eyed human exclaimed.

He immediately sprinted towards the angel, daggers drawn. When Pit reacted by raising his claws, the sharpened edges met only air as the black haired warrior leaped overhead. Upon landing, he sheathed his twin blades whilst running as fast as he could.

**"_Pit, keep after him," _**Palutena ordered.

**"_There's no way he'll keep up on foot," _**Viridi noted, **_"And the Power of Flight has run out."_**

**"_I'm sending you an Exo-Tank," _**the light goddess declared.

The divine vehicle materialized in front of Pit, engine already humming with power. The flightless angel leaped behind the controls with one target in mind: Akuma, the human who seemingly isn't.

* * *

**Hello all of my readers, sorry this took so long to get out. Transition is more of a side project to me in comparison to my other story, Twenty-Four Hours. Aside from that, video games and schoolwork devoured my weekend. With a plate and everything. Exams in a week as of the date posted.**

**On the topic of video games, I started playing Elsword Online over the weekend, so you might find me there. I play as Raven, nickname Crow3man. Mostly a soloer, but will happily join a party.**

**Hoping those of you who are returning from the original run of this fic, Rise of the Old Ones, are enjoying the pacing and writing improvements. I learned a lot, and hope it's showing through.**

**Anyways, excuses aside, follow, favorite, review, and thanks for reading! Until next time.**


	3. Chapter 3: Sanguinem Magicae

Chapter 3: Sanguinem Magicae

**Bold text is as translated from the Elder Tongue**

* * *

Akuma ran as fast as he could, the hum of the scarab like Exo-tank steadily growing behind him. The gnarled trees granted the more agile human an advantage over Pit. The angel plowed through trees, marginally slowed by the impact, always enough to keep Akuma just out of reach. The infernal teen glanced behind himself. Which proved to be a mistake.

Pit's Exo-tank careened into Akuma's back, the impact enough to liquify a normal person. The amethyst eyed human arced through the air instead. He landed roughly on his side. _CRACK! _At least two ribs fractured from the impact, the loose ends throbbing as Akuma shakily regained his feet. A red and purple blot slowly spread out from the center of the impact.

The angel slowed to a stop behind the human, cannons trained on the bruised figure. "Alright, what now?"

Akuma looked at the angel, dumbfounded. _"Did he really just try to run me over without even knowing why he was chasing me?"_

A graceful voice cut through Akuma's skull. **_"You there, what's your name?"_**

"What's it to you," he spat.

**"_You're the first human in seven years to have fought the Underworld army and lived. You also hid yourself from me, which makes me curious. Last but not least, according to Pit, you survived a firestorm that obliterated an entire forest."_**

Akuma sighed as he gauged the vehicle at his back. "My name is Akuma, now who's asking?"

The angel in the tank piped, "She's Lady Palutena, goddess of light! You know, the goddess everyone under the sun celebrates?"

"If everyone loves her so much, why am I on her hit list then?"

**"_I don't have a hit list," _**Palutena commented. **_"Viridi does though. Ask her."_**

A high pitched, childlike voice joined the intrusion of Akuma's thoughts.** _"I've never seen this guy before. And besides, he's human. No measly lone human has ever made it onto the to-kill list before, just groups of them."_**

"Then explain the jackasses with the white robes and green eye," Akuma demanded.

**"_I don't even acknowledge any human worshippers," _**Viridi argued. **_"And if I did, they would NOT be wearing pure white."_**

**"_I've seen the men he's talking about," _**the goddess of light added.** _"But they seem peaceful, just preaching to the masses."_**

Akuma slowly spun to face the Exo-tank at his back. "I can assure you, they did not preach about any deities to me while they tried to kill me."

**"_Not that I've looked for it, but I've never seen them with weapons of any sorts."_**

"I'm not the only one capable of psychokinetic interference," the violet eyed human declared. He then lunged forward, grabbing the bottom prong of the insectoid vehicle and proceeded to flip it on its side.

Pit tumbled out of the Exo-tank. By the time he returned to his feet and drew the Raptor Claws, Akuma cloaked himself in shadows and vanished. Pit whipped around, claws at the ready, every hair on end. The obsidian haired boy slunk away under the cover of darkness.

Akuma's instincts screamed at him. The fight or flight mentality struggled with a burning curiosity, a primal need to know more about this angel and his goddess. The latter won out. Eyes never leaving the winged warrior, Akuma followed Pit, staying well off the beaten path.

"Lady Palutena? I lost him."

Moments later, a beam of light enveloped Pit. When the beam faded, the angel was gone.

"What do you make of that Akuryo?"

**"_I hear wings are quite delicious."_**

Akuma scowled at the violent spectre's predictable response. "Besides the obvious, please."

**"_You're boring. He's dense but extremely proficient with all manner of divine weaponry. Wings are too small to be capable of flight on his own. And his alliance with two deities makes him dangerous."_**

"Alright, now what to do about this angel…"

The lavender eyed human pushed his way through the underbrush. A nagging, pulsating headache built behind his eyes, though he could not tell what from. The pressure grew to be unbearable, causing Akuma to pass out soon after.

When he came to, the human found himself in a clearing. From the orange tint to the sky and the trees, he determined that he had not been moved far, but had been out for some time. A pang in his gut confirmed the second.

Sitting up, the headache returned, though only enough to be irritating. Attempting to stand caused Akuma to swoon. With no choice but to sit and wait, he began observing his surroundings. Then a second realization appeared. Sodom and Gomorrah were missing.

An unfamiliar feminine voice intruded on Akuma's thoughts. **_"Finally awake, huh?"_**

"Great, something else I just NEEDED. Another voice in my head," the black haired boy seethed.

**"_... Are you trying to tell me something," _**Akuryo growled.

"Wait… how are you even managing a telepathic link with us," Akuma demanded.

**"_When you passed out, the other mind moved you to a safe place. This dropped the blockade, allowing me to speak with you,"_** the girl explained.

"Well, congratulations. Would you like my head on a pike as well?"

**"_No actually, quite the opposite. Having watched you for years, I came to the realization that we share something, in that we have bost lost much. No, Akuma, I want you to join me, to help me end the reign of Palutena, of Viridi, and the rest of that forsaken pantheon!"_**

"You know my name," Akuma noted, "But I don't know yours. Do tell."

**"_Of course. It would be rude to not, wouldn't it? My name is Aima."_**

"As to your offer, what if I refuse?"

**"_You won't." _**One could practically hear her smug smile.

The violet eyed boy finally managed to stand up without nearly blacking out. "Hate to ruin your expectations -not really- but I will refuse."

**"_To reject an offer of kinship and security," _**Amai growled, **_"In favour of loneliness and death? Then die, Akuma. Die alone and serve my purposes in the afterlife."_**

Around the human warrior burst a menagerie of Underworld monsters. Most worrying was the lone Orne with it's vanguard of Fire Wyrms. Next in line to that was the Clubberskull, but those can be killed.

The violet eyed boy concentrated on the air in front of him, tapping into his innate powers. The space rippled, warped, and darkened. Akuma grasped at the shadowy bar eagerly. His hand fell through the dark mass, which dissipated immediately. Shock replaced the cocky grin that had dominated his face prior.

Steeling his will, Akuma did the most logical thing a single unarmed human should do when faced with Underworld troops. He ran.

The fiends gave chase. Akuma dared not look over his shoulder, for fear of being trapped without weapon or power. In his directionless escape, the human teen ran past where he blacked out, his twin daggers laying abandoned on the ground. He snatched them up without slowing. Too invested by this point, the shirtless boy ran until he could no longer hear the baying of the Underworld monsters.

"Akuryo," he huffed between breaths, "What.. the hell… was that?"

**"_I warned you, didn't I," _**the malevolent spirit glowered. **_"The limitations you possess right now prevent you from Nihil shaping more that twice in a day!"_**

"...Fuck."

The ebon haired teen wandered aimlessly, lost beyond reasoning. Smoke on the wind alerted him to a nearby flame, confirmed by numerous tree stumps. Logic dictated that a farm or settlement was nearby. Akuma feverishly hoped it was the former. Pushing through the trees, he felt his hopes shatter as it proved to be the latter.

Akuma made to turn around. Instead, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. A guard in full leather armour, carrying a wooden buckler and iron sword looked the boy over.

"You lost, kid?"

Steadying his breathing, Akuma looked the guard squarely in the eye. "No."

The guard eyed Akuma with a calculating gaze. "Well, you don't look like you have a home. Come with me, I'll show you to the foster home. And don't worry, you'll be allowed to keep those daggers of yours. Living so close to the borderlands means everyone has to be able to defend themselves."

Wanting anything else than to make a scene and be put on the run for the third time in a day, Akuma agreed. The guard led him into the town, drawing stares from the citizens. The guard told Akuma to not mind them, as it's rare to see such a wild looking child around here. Akuma did not grace this with a reply.

At the foster home, named "Freya's home for unfortunate individuals," the ebon haired teen was seated next to a table covered in scissors, razors, and other hygiene based items. A cloth covered something just off to his left. Within minutes, a busy looking older woman rushed into the room. She pulled the cloth away, revealing a full body mirror.

"Come, come, let's have a look at you," She urged. "My name is Freya. You are..?"

Akuma reluctantly stood in front of the mirror. "Akuma," he stated.

Freya began examining Akuma, only stopping to use the mirror as a reference. At which point she screamed.

Akuma glanced at the mirror. Where he should have stood, a grotesque fusion of human and something… else stood. Half formed horns poked out of his temples. Tattered, small, and useless wings fluttered weakly against his back. A limp, pale tail drug on the floor behind him. Solid grey replaced the black sheen of his hair, and his cheeks appeared rotten, gaps revealing sharpened yet pathetic teeth.

Akuma checked his back without the mirror. "No wings," he muttered. "Akuryo, what do you make of this?"

**"_It appears to be the both of us as one being. More importantly, you are going to have to fight your way out. Freya alerted the guards."_**

"You have got to be kidding me. I didn't even ask for this!"

**"_Now then, how about a festive little bloodbath?"_**

"I would rather not."

Akuma ran out of the orphanage, only to be greeted by at least twenty guards. Threats and accusations towards the "Demon" flowed more smoothly than ale on the first night off after a hard week. After a moment's scrutinization, the violet eyed boy discerned the true source of the guard's ire. The sight made his blood boil with unchecked rage.

In the midst of the guards stood a man in a hooded white robe with green trimming, and a green eye on the hood over his eyes. In one hand, the priest carried a holy symbol, the Eye of Tsukuru, and in the other, an enormous book.

Upon Akuma's appearance, the priest launched into an elaborate speech. "Behold the enemy of all, the Demon of nothingness! This fiend would see your homes reduced to naught, your families never to have existed, and your livelihoods gone forever! Seize this beast, lest he destroy everything you have ever known!"

"Piss off," Akuma called back.

Both sides sprang into action. The guards charged at the shirtless boy, followed by the holy man's prayer and exorcismic words. Said boy leaped over their heads of the guard. As he dropped to the ground Akuma stepped on the priest's face, using the man as a springboard to leap onto the rooftops.

"The Thieve's Highway will have to do," he muttered as he sprinted towards the edge of town, the furious howling of the guards not far behind.

**"_I find it curious," _**Akuryo mused, **_"That you are more than happy to cut down Underworld Monsters or the Forces of Nature without a second thought, yet you balk at the idea of killing humans, even ones that attack you."_**

"I couldn't tell you why myself," Akuma admitted.

**"_That's another settlement that wants you dead. When exactly do you plan on listening to my advice?"_**

"When I give up on living."

**"_Your logic baffles me."_**

"Good."

Akuma leaped off the final roof, landing a safe distance away from town shortly before disappearing into the surrounding forest. The guards made to chase him through the green belt.

"Do not bother," the Priest warned. "He has lived his entire life since becoming aware of what he is in the wilds, living as a monster. You will not find him, let alone kill him."

* * *

Palutena surveyed a map, tacks planted in the occasional location. Pit stood on the other side, his expression making it crystal clear that he had no clue what any of it meant.

"Lady Palutena?" Pit inquired.

"Yes Pit?"

"What do the tacks mean?"

"The tacks are marking locations where a superdisaster struck," Palutena explained. "Viridi is trying to uncover the pattern, but she's having about as much luck as us."

"So there isn't a pattern?"

"Perhaps not, but there seems to be a limit," the goddess of light conceded. "They only happen on this continent." She pointed to an ovoid continent, symmetrical both length and width wise. Not a single tack marked the map anywhere else. "Whatever's going on, it has to do with the landmass known to the humans as Mati. We will need to keep a close eye on what's going on."

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait!**

**I got my copy of Monster Hunter Four Ultimate in February, and it has dominated my time. All things considered, that's just an excuse for my being lazy, but hey. Again, sorry for the wait.**

**What did you guys think of the part with the mirror?**

**Anyways, as always, you know the drill. Review, follow, favorite, and keep enjoying! Until next time.**


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